The BMW Shorties has named the short film,
‘PACE’ by Ekin Kee Charles its Grand Prize winner for the thirteenth edition.
The Grand Prize worth RM80,000 in production grant was presented at the BMW
Shorties Awards Night 2019, held in conjunction with Urbanscapes 2019.

‘PACE’ is a 15-minute short film about a
young girl contemplating her identity for the first time in a small town in
Sabah. The moving coming-of-age story explores identity at a tender age through
the perspective of Yaya, who discovers a longing for something her group of friends
have. Determined to be more than just the ‘girl’ in her group, she takes a leap
of faith by pushing the boundaries of what it means to be feminine in a world
that is seemingly built for the opposite gender.

“What a great honour it is to be named the
BMW Shorties Grand Prize Winner for 2019. I am equally humbled and thrilled to
be receiving this recognition, not just for myself but for everyone who have
helped make ‘PACE’ a reality back at home. My niece and nephews who were the
stars of this short film, this is for you. I am also grateful to the BMW
Shorties for continuously giving us, young creators, a platform to speak for
and champion the stories we want to tell; the stories Malaysia needs to hear,”
said Syahnur Asyikin Kee Charles, or better known as Ekin.

A fresh graduate of University Malaysia
Sarawak (UNIMAS) who majored in Cinematography, ‘PACE’ is Ekin’s first
submission to the BMW Shorties. Her winning short impressed with its intricate
storytelling interwoven with stunning visuals and stellar production quality.
For that, Ekin and her team also took home the Best Editing award.

“Making this short film was no easy feat
but working with my niece and nephews made it a spectacular experience. We
directed children with no acting experience and shot a short film without any
written lines; the story was told through their candid emotions and reactions
to the directions we gave them. With ‘PACE’, I set out to convey a message
about gender, identity and the many conflicts with ourselves, no matter the
age; and I am proud to have achieved that,” Ekin added.

Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director of BMW
Group Malaysia said, “This year’s unconventional theme managed to gather some
of Malaysia’s finest filmmakers and content creators we have ever seen. With
the vast amount of submissions received this year, it is truly refreshing to
see local creators demonstrate such passion and tenacity in visualising their
interpretations of ‘UNCHARTED’, and as such, we are more than proud to continue
driving this creative force time and time again.”

Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications
of BMW Group Malaysia said, “BMW Shorties 2019 has demonstrated once again just
how many filmmakers and content creators we have yet to and can discover and
support across Malaysia, by providing a platform for their voices to be heard.
Recording our highest amount of submissions ever, this year only motivates us
to keep leading the conversation and providing the opportunities for our local
talents to share their stories with their country and then, to the rest of the
world.”

The Finalists’ short films can be viewed on the official BMW Shorties’ YouTube page. For more information on the BMW Shorties, visit the official BMW Shorties website.

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